Lizjonesbooks

Illustration Friday-- Open

Illustration Friday-- Open

lizjonesbooks
10/6/07 10:17 pm
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I believe the process of creating opens doors to other worlds inside us, regardless of our medium of expression.

I usually have dim images of what might be on the other side of a particular door as I begin work-- but then when I'm halfway through, I find myself somewhere completely unexpected.

The logical part of me wonders how it's possible to be surprised by something that I set out so deliberately to create-- shouldn't I know all the little back streets and cafes by heart before I begin?

But I don't. Ever.
One of the chief reasons I write stories is to find out how they end-- to learn all the little wrinkles and switchbacks that I don't know about when I imagine them first.

How about you?


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  • carga

    (Anonymous)
    10/7/07 11:01 pm (UTC)
    very nice illo, magical, I love the colours and the concept

  • suzannecrowley
    10/8/07 01:00 am (UTC)
    Beautiful!

  • if comment

    (Anonymous)
    10/8/07 03:13 am (UTC)
    very thought provoking.i like it for some reason the person reminds me a young bob dylan: michael dauiley

    • Re: if comment

      lizjonesbooks
      10/8/07 11:47 am (UTC)
      Interesting-- Steve Savicki thought the same. The writer in my mind's eye was Kurt Vonnegut, but I know the profile isn't quite right for him. Maybe I was channeling Dylan without knowing it ;o)

  • darklingwoods
    10/8/07 03:54 am (UTC)
    magic! I love it :)

  • laurasalas
    10/8/07 12:11 pm (UTC)
    Liz, I love this! I have a book coming out called Write Your Own Poetry (Compass Point, 2008), and they asked for ideas for cover images. I came up with things along this line, or a pen with a tornado of images coming out it, or something to show numerous possibilities...they chose a picture of flying geese. An image like this one would have been so much more evocative!

    And I usually know how things will end before I begin. Though I'm occasionally surprised. But usually, I can't keep myself from thinking it through ahead of time...

  • saputnam
    10/8/07 09:09 pm (UTC)
    WOW! That is truly amazing Liz A perfect window into what the imagination is. When I first saw it three things crossed my mind. First, you have captured what it’s like to be a student in school... the student is keeping to task and yet inside them their imagination has free rein to lean against a door and daydream. And second, I thought of Carl Sagan when he said, "Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere. "
    And with your use of stars turning into doves, I again thought of Sagan's,"We are star stuff!"

    Artists, whether working in oils or with the printed word have no idea where they are going, they have signposts along the way that help to guide them, but with all the twists and turns, the outcome is usually quite different from what one first imagined.

  • (Anonymous)
    10/9/07 01:33 pm (UTC)
    You've make me take a step back and think this morning. Well done!! Kim
    www.imwithsully.com/blog

  • Amazing illustration

    (Anonymous)
    10/9/07 02:46 pm (UTC)
    Hi... my name is Aurora and I really like the way you think about the art of creating and open doors... I agree with you... and congratulations for this amazing illustrations! Greetings from Mexico!

    http://aurangelica.blogspot.com

    • Re: Amazing illustration

      lizjonesbooks
      10/9/07 02:54 pm (UTC)
      Thanks, Aurora-- I love your comic images, too! Glad you agree on the process... I think it does cross genres in many ways.

  • Creative

    jdmills
    10/10/07 10:50 pm (UTC)
    This is a wonderful illustration

    For me (at the moment) the creative process is all about enjoyment - enjoying the process, and not worrying overly abotu the ooutcome (though enjoyment is heightened when the outcome is good).

    And so I agree whole heartedly that when I open a door it can lead me to a very different place than where I thought I was headed.

    All part of the fun!

    • Re: Creative

      lizjonesbooks
      10/11/07 03:05 pm (UTC)
      Thanks-- I agree that the enjoyment factor is a huge part of creating good work. I think if you don't enjoy what you're doing, the odds of creating something interesting are not very high. Hope you get some good outcomes on your work very soon!

  • (Anonymous)
    10/12/07 03:39 am (UTC)
    Sometimes I plan a piece out in my head, but the best ones are when I don't.

    Great concept and illo!

    -bluerose

    • lizjonesbooks
      10/12/07 02:08 pm (UTC)
      Isn't that the truth-- makes "planned" pieces(like book illos) go so much slower than, say, illo friday pieces!
      Glad you liked it!

  • sruble
    10/17/07 02:44 pm (UTC)
    Somehow I missed this - wow! This is a powerful image; I love it! I really like your new Extremes/Wicked Lovely image too, especially Donia and Sascha.

    • lizjonesbooks
      10/17/07 03:17 pm (UTC)
      Thanks, Steph! I almost didn't come up with this image... it was one of those weeks. Then suddenly I had it. Love my procrastinating muse...

  • AscenderRisesAbove

    (Anonymous)
    10/21/07 02:12 am (UTC)
    how did i miss this one before? fascinating story it tells

    ascenderrisesabove.com/wordpress

    • Re: AscenderRisesAbove

      lizjonesbooks
      10/21/07 02:20 am (UTC)
      Thanks! I almost didn't do this one... just wasn't getting the image. Then all of a sudden... you know how it goes!

  • losttoy
    10/31/07 07:24 pm (UTC)
    You have some really cool imagery going on there. I love the windows and doors and the guy kind of looks like Neil Gaiman too. As much as I hate to criticize your art, since I love them all, it does look like the hand of the artist or writer could use some more work.

    • lizjonesbooks
      10/31/07 07:38 pm (UTC)
      Ha! Another persona for the profile! Yeah-- the hand is pretty sketchy. I had Vonnegut in mind when I drew this guy, and a couple people suggested Bob Dylan. I could definitely see Neil Gaiman in this guy, though.
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